Baseball Ends 2015 Orange and Black World Series in 2-2 Tie
11/3/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
MACON, Ga. – The Mercer University baseball team's Orange and Black World Series continued this weekend, as the two teams split on the weekend to even the series at 2-2. Black claimed the third game of the series, 5-2, on Friday, before Orange rallied back with a 9-6 triumph in Saturday's Game Four.
GAME THREE
THE LINE
Win: Andrew Kane (4 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 K)
Loss: Nick Spear (4.2 IP, 1 H, 3 ER, 5 K)
Save: Austin Lord (2 IP, 2 H, 0 ER)
TURNING POINT
Trailing 2-1 in the bottom of the fifth, the Black team regained the lead thanks to the bat of Howard Joe. Joe took advantage of a pair of runners on base with two outs, blasting a bomb over the outfield fence to hand the Black team a 4-2 advantage. The pitching staff needed no more help, as Lord closed out the victory with two scoreless innings to help the Black team grab a 2-1 lead in the series.
PLAYER OF THE GAME
Joe's three RBIs were the difference in the contest, as the junior first baseman finished 1-for-2 at the plate with one base on balls to go along with his fifth-inning homer.
NOTABLES
Jose Hernandez hit the only other home run in the contest, a solo shot for the Orange team in the top of the second that tied the game 1-1. He finished with a game-high two hits, each of which were of the extra base variety.
Carter Varga was also credited with a scoreless inning in relief for the Black team, working out of a jam in the fifth after replacing Kane on the mound.
GAME FOUR
THE LINE
Win: Taylor Lobus (4 IP, 4 H, 4 ER)
Loss: Connor Herd (2.1 IP, 5 H, 4 ER)
TURNING POINT
Trey Truitt put the Orange team on top for good in the bottom of the third, plating two with a base hit to push Orange on top, 4-3. The Orange team would add four more runs in the fourth thanks in large part to Hernandez's three-run single that handed them an 8-3 advantage.
PLAYER OF THE GAME
Truitt led the Orange team with three hits in four at-bats. The sophomore drove in three of the team's nine runs in the contest while scoring a run of his own.
NOTABLES
Hernandez finished with a game-high three RBIs thanks to his fourth-inning single.
Joe homered for the second straight game with his two-run blast in the top of the third, while Ryan Hagan and Daniel Tefft each added solo shots.
UP NEXT
With the series tied at 2-2 and Sunday's decisive Game 5 of the Orange and Black World Series called off due to weather, the Bears will decide the winner later this week off the field in a series of challenges.
